4 Wedding trends we love

Invitations

Weddings are all about personalization these days, and brides and grooms are setting a personalized tone from the start with their invitations, Kaneko explains.

“The new trend is for couples to use personalized artwork on their invites, whether it's a special drawing by a family member or a custom illustration of themselves in their wedding location through a company like Rifle Paper,” she says.

“Couples are also choosing vintage stamps that have special meaning, such as stamps that represent the states where they grew up, hobbies they have and their professions.”

Crafty and creative wedding invitations>>

Flowers

Brides are increasingly using non-floral elements for a more modern take on their bouquets.

“While a classic bouquet of gorgeous peonies and garden roses will never go out of style, I've seen more and more brides' bouquets mix succulents in with traditional flowers,” Kaneko says. Among the succulent trend, air plants seem to be particularly popular because they are simultaneously dramatic and delicate, she explains.

For centerpieces and ceremony decor, brides are also gravitating toward a more natural look and looking to their settings for floral inspiration -- whether it is using bunches of lavender for outdoor wine country weddings or prickly pear cactus for desert weddings. “Even the most formal weddings are shifting their style as brides are warming up to wildflowers and arrangements with more organic silhouettes.”

Colors

When it comes to color, consider expanding your horizons. “Brides are embracing the idea of working with a broader color palette rather than having only one or two wedding colors,” Kaneko says.

“Outdoor weddings are becoming increasingly natural and organic, so muted vintage colors are in style. Shades of ivory, soft grays and browns, lavender, dusty rose and peach,” she adds.

“At the other end of the spectrum, contemporary brides will be using a bold, feminine palette,” the event planner explains. Their colors will be tangerine and bright raspberry, mixed in with softer shades of the two colors such as peach and pale pink.

Food

Dessert buffets have been popular for a few years, but the new trend is to stock them with "fancy junk food," Kaneko says.

The newest thing is for caterers to recreate treats you loved when you were a child -- Hostess cupcakes, Snoballs, Twinkies, Oreos, cotton candy, etc.

“These childhood classics bring great memories back, but now feature fresher ingredients and better quality.” Another food trend to think about is to have a Champagne bar where guests can mix their own bubbly creations with organic purees , edible hibiscus flowers and fresh fruit. Sign us up!